Eat Something Else! Encouraging the Resistant Eater

The effort to feed a resistant eater a more nutritious and varied diet. What works, what doesn't. I am a mother of two daughters, one (called H) who is an adventurous eater like her mom, and one (called E) who has autism, sensory processing...

What's your go-to cooking shortcut?

I cook today's dinner the night before. Walking in the door after a long day of work with 2 cranky kids is never fun. It's even less fun if I have to do a meal from scratch and the whining reaches the level of an opera soprano (that's the one with a really high pitch). So I cook Monday's dinner at the same time as Sunday's. Monday, after we've all eaten, I make Tuesday's dinner while the kids play and so on. It's never anything fancy, but doing it this way takes a huge amount of stress out of my day.
The other thing I do is make a big batch of pizza dough on Sunday, separate and roll out individual crusts, and parbake them. At that point, they can be stored in the fridge for a few days, or the freezer for months. And if you read this post, you'll understand that some weeks I go through a lot of pizza!
http://resistanteater.blogspot.com/2011/02/if-its-white-or-yellow-or-tan-or-beige.html

What's an easy, healthy lunchbox menu for kids?

I try to stick with foods that can be eaten in 20 minutes since that is all she gets for lunch. I try to make things that will fill her up until she gets home: nut butter & jelly on whole grain bread, tomato soup, broccoli florets, and baby carrots. I also like to throw in a small treat, like one square of dark chocolate, or these lentil, nut, chocolate chip cookies that I make: http://resistanteater.blogspot.com/2011/02/lentil-cookies.html

What's your favorite recipe for a dish that can be made ahead and frozen?

Waffles and pancakes. Every weekend we make a big batch. I used to put them in the fridge but they would be rubbery and stale after the 2 day point. Now we put a piece of parchment or wax paper between each one (after cooling), and put it in a freezer bag or Tupperware container and store in the freezer. Waffles are easy to reheat in the toaster, and pancakes can be reheated in a skillet over low heat (you can also do in the microwave, but they will be slightly mushy).
This is an excellent multigrain waffle recipe: http://resistanteater.blogspot.com/2012/01/multigrain-waffles.html
And we love these carrot pancakes for dinner: http://resistanteater.blogspot.com/2011/04/carrots-can-go-in-pancakes.html

What is an easy vegetable recipe that your kids love?

For a long time I tried everything to get the kids to eat vegetables. Then one day I noticed that my oldest was chewing on grass and tree leaves, so I gave her some raw spinach to teach which leaves are okay to eat and which are not. Then I tried raw broccoli florets and raw carrots. That was apparently the trick - they prefer to eat raw vegetables cut into small pieces. No ranch dip required!

What is your favorite quick breakfast recipe?

I found these silicon microwave-able 'dishes' at my grocery store called Poach Pods. I crack an egg in and zap for a minute to replicate a hard boiled egg. I give the yolk to the child who likes yolks, and the white to the one that likes the whites. Instant protein. They often ask for seconds and I didn't have to sit there waiting 20 minutes for traditionally boiled eggs.

What are the best ways to keep kids entertained & well-behaved at a formal event or luncheon such as wedding?

My girls love to dance, so I have told them that there is "sitting time" followed by "dancing time". For sitting time, we bring a book to read quietly, or coloring pages, and of course a snack with water, just in case. Before the first wedding they went to, I held a practice one at home. Their loveys got married and held a tea party with dancing after, and we watched an episode of Little Bear that shows two skunks getting married. It helped them to have some knowledge of what would happen going into the real event.

Please share a link to a photo of a great birthday cake you made or bought.

I love to decorate cakes WAY more than I like eating them. Yes, that is w a little weird, but I'm not much of a cake person. This shows some of the cakes I've done:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.5153625070.3865.706940070&type=3&l=705a36fcd6

From peach pies and berry cobbler to lemon shortcake and watermelon popsicles, fruity desserts are perfect for summer. Please share your favorite fruit-based dessert, and include a link to the recipe and photo.

Last year I made Cherry Cheesecake Cookies for the first time. They were the best cookies I have ever made (and are in no way "healthy"). The recipe was from the show Cook's Country. It uses canned cherries, but I have since used a homemade version where I boil frozen cherries down in some water and sugar.

What's on your bucket list of things to do with your kids this summer?

I enrolled my daughter in Bike First. It's a one week long camp that teaches kids with special needs to ride a bicycle. I am so excited to spend that week with her and watch her work toward something she really wishes she could do.
[Bike First is an affiliate of http://www.losethetrainingwheels.org/]

What's a family-friendly recipe that would be perfect for a summer or Fourth of July gathering -- whether it's a grilled dish, a simple side or festive treat? (Please share a link to a photo)

These were called All Season Peach Squares, but I like them in the summer when you can get fresh peaches. Everyone I have made them for can't stop at just one!
http://resistanteater.blogspot.com/2011/08/all-season-peach-squares-or-apricot-or.html

What's a great finger food that your kids love? Please include a link.

We are currently in "snack bar mode". Any type of granola or snack bar that comes in a wrapper is all the rage with my daughters. It's handy for when we are in the car, but if we're at home and they ask for a granola bar, I give them a homemade version from a book called No Whine with Dinner. They will also eat just about anything that has dark chocolate in it. :)
http://resistanteater.blogspot.com/2011/08/chocolate-does-conquer-all.html

Nothing says fall like the flavor of cinnamon! What's one of your favoritie recipes that has cinnamon in it? Please share a link with a photo.

There is a simple breakfast recipe I found ages ago in an article that promoted something like 10 easy snacks. One of Paula Deen's sons suggested cinnamon cream cheese toast. It was a hit with both kids, which is not always the case! We now use the recipe in regular rotation.

What are the most important things to do while on maternity leave before going back to work?

Sleep when the baby sleeps. It's okay to let your house go dirty or with minimal cleaning for a few weeks. When you get back to work, you won't have the opportunity to catch up on any sleep lost overnight.

You know you're a mom when... (please fill in the blank!) and link to a picture if it's relevant.

your heart stops for a moment when you realize they're not 'babies' anymore.
I've had quite a few of those in the last year. We go to a kiddie play area, and I notice that my girls are on that edge of being too old to play there. And the questions have become more complex - some conversations are almost of grown up caliber.